By Clayton Barnes
Cape Town is not another Ibiza and the initial 2010 branding of the city as a "party city" like the Mediterranean island fun capital was "a disaster".
So says the chief executive of Accelerate Cape Town, Guy Lundy, who also believes that not enough is being done to properly market Cape Town ahead of next year's World Cup and that the event can be used to prove the Afro-pessimists wrong.
Speaking at the bi-weekly 2010 lecture series last week, Lundy said the city needed more co-ordination and a consistent message to attract more business visitors in 2010.
'Branding Cape Town as a party city for the World Cup should never have happened' He described the city's initial 2010 marketing strategy, which branded Cape Town as Africa's party capital, a disaster and said the city could learn a thing or two from the country's other host cities.
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"Branding Cape Town as a party city for the World Cup should never have happened," said Lundy.
"The World Cup is that one opportunity we have to showcase the city to the world. We don't want to market ourselves like another Ibiza."
Lundy added that the World Cup was the best opportunity that South Africa has had since 1994 to prove the Afro-pessimists wrong.
"Cape Town should be sold and branded as a serious business destination for the World Cup and thereafter," he said.
'I like the idea of Cape Town being 'Where the world meets' "As one of the nine host cities, Cape Town has as much, if not more, opportunity than the rest of the country to make the most of the world's biggest single sporting event."
Lundy said the city had failed to properly market Cape Town for 2010 and had allowed people to develop a brand for the city.
"Cape Town clearly has a perception problem.
"We are consistently voted one of the greatest holiday destinations on Earth, but we are not seen as a serious player in the world of business," he said.
The city recently changed its 2010 tag line from "Africa's party capital" to "Ready to welcome the world".
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